Finally someone who really understands how best to drive and modify your pickup. I use my pickup strickly for towing RVs. I lowered the rear 3 inches and 1 mpg , = 10% increase, installed used topper and added a deflector with extension to back of topper with vortex generators and increased mpg 18%. The lower dam in front is good idea. Irun high pressure in tires and installed 10 ply. and drive 55mph from Florida to Washington state yearly and save a bundle of $. Alway stay in right lane and be extremely courteous to truck drivers and they will appreciate it. California law is 55mph for all trailers. It makes for a lot more relaxing trip and doesn't to a lot longer. Start slow and look way ahead and around. Formula for speed or wind pressure is velocity squared by .0256 will give you pressure per square foot x area. About 23% less at 55 compared to 70mph which means fewer fuel stops. Relax and enjoy the ride.
Thanks for sharing all your experience! Lowering is a good idea for tow rigs. I saw a semi truck and the front bumper was only a few inches off the ground to prevent air from getting under the truck.
All very good advice BUT just a few points I'd like to add/correct: (1) after-market conical air filters are not meant for low revving cars (2) giving less resistence to air in the intake will not give you better performance unless you tune acordingly the ECU (3) longer piping is good for low rev high torque, shorter piping will yield higher torque at higher RPMs (you did mention this correctly in the video) You covered a lot of topics and you did it very well. Great tips
I don't know if modifying the truck with proven bolt ons will break the truck. You might be doing something wrong there if you are. Also trucks are going to depreciate no matter what. You might as well build it up and enjoy the thing. I just haven't seen anyone personally break their vehicle due to using a recognized brand for intake and exhaust.
MY WIFE AND I STAY AT HOME A LOT - DOESN'T HELP ON MPG BUT THE OVER-ALL FUEL COSTS STAY WAY DOWN - LOL!!!!!!! THIS WAS A GOOD DOWN TO EARTH VIDEO WITH MANY GOOD TIPS I THINK WILL HELP A LOT - THANKS - AND BRAVO!!!!!!!
Another good way to gain an extra 5 mpg is to 'follow' someone on the road. Drive behind someone on a safe distance cause he is pushing all the wind in front of u. Tried thin on my honda car and it works.
Good tips. Regarding the aerodynamics and the rear spoiler. It actually does help as you stated it correctly. Check out this video by Ford regarding aerodynamics. The low pressure in the truck bed created by the passing air flow makes air flow over the truck bed. The tail gate up = less drag. F-150 Aerodynamics: Where Art Meets Science F-150 Aerodynamics: Where Art Meets Science
@@AnthonyJ350 true, and to go along with something u said before, the type of tires. You have the option of choosing wider or skinnier tires and also the load rating. If you choose something that's e-rated it will have more plies and will be much heavier and sturdier. Normally wouldn't be needed unless you are going to be loading your vehicle more, but some people don't look at that and it does add up when you are looking at four tires
Alryt I'm happy to see another Canadian doing these improves!! Thanks for the video. The conditions in our severe weather does affect the engine performance in general. so I believe these are really good tips and when followed in ideal weather conditions around; the world I think it should improvise fuel efficiency big time.
this is a very good video not only for trucks but for passenger cars too. i was expecting small facts that everyone knew but you went the extra mile and practically when through most of the main systems to maximize fuel economy. i would expand on driving habits cuz that is a big one. people floor it on green like if theyre racing to the next red light. Keeping the revs as low as possible, vacuum as high as possible, coasting (off the throttle or on neutral) as much as possible and not exceeding 65mph on the freeway and avoiding high traffic or slow speed areas will help tremendously.
Driving habits on a well maintained vehicle give better results than all the others combined. Driving habits include a lot more than how fast you accelerate and stop.
What type of fuel system do you have??? Ya making the truck a little lighter would help if you do a lot of city driving. You have to evaluate the cost though. If those parts cost a lot, it might take a long time to get your money back. You might as well put that money towards gas. As far as tunes, the ecu should be tuned more towards economy as opposed to performance.
Thank you for the tips. However, I am more impressed with adding hydrogen from ammonia in a fuel cell or adding a fuel vaporizer. Both of those can improve performance, cleaner emissions and mileage gain up to 40% at a much less costs.
I like gen 2 gas Rams. With oversized plug wires, good plugs, MSD coil, new filter I got 4-5 mpgs on my 2000 4x4. I got the exhaust to do next. I already went from 10-12 mpgs to 14-17. Plus power. She was sluggish at first. O yeah and recently the Big Gulp throttle body which really kicked it up a notch. I wanna do the intake next
Nice video with lots of helpful tips. Thanks. One thing that bothers me about newer trucks is how tall they are. Vehicle height makes a big difference in fuel economy (drag) at highway speeds.
Air raide throttle body riser, headers, large solar panel, K&N air filter, Lucas injection cleaner, removed the pump that pumps air into my exhuast, Air pressure to 38 psi on tires. I am at about 1000+ km on a 110 liter fill with my 88 chev extended cab long box 350 motor virtually all highway and very conservative driving
Engineers already done quite a few are dynamic studies on pickup trucks and found that a tonneau cover is pretty much useless unless you integrate the rear spoiler and a cab top rear spoiler. Otherwise tonneau cover alone still creates excessive drag behind each vertical wall.
definitely sounded like you were about to start laughing at the end. "maybe you shouldnt own a full size truck". There are a lot of people in the US that drive trucks just so they can drive a truck. Which thats ok, i prefer driving a truck to a sedan, but its not very smart as a primary reason!
taller tires will change your gear ration to a higher number. i.e. from 3.55 to 3.23 for example. this will decrease your engine rpm and increase fuel mileage. I have a 99 ram 2wd 5.9 magnum, with 130k on it. when new this truck was rated at 15mpg city, 17 hwy. I now get 16.5 combined with a change from the 22575r16 tires to a 24575r16, kn cold air system, flowmaster exhaust and 180 vs 195 tstat. I drive this truck 90 miles round trip every day 6 days a week. And by the way, I stand on it every chance I get
In running a 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 HD (Classic Body style) with a 6.0L gasser..Darn thing was sitting at like 27.8L/ 100 km at one point; however, I soon realized that just accelerating and breaking slower helped drop it down to 21.9L/ 100 km. Its not the best, but it helped me.
there is nothing about the engine being colder that is going to tell the ECU to send less fuel into the combustion chamber. there is also nothing about a fresh or new air filter that will tell the ECU to send less fuel to the combustion chamber. If you disagree then you simply dont understand fuel injected motor fuel delivery systems.
First I would start with this if you just get a car start with doing brakes all around including any bushings rotors and calipers or for my truck drums in the back then start with an oil change clean air filter and intake flush all old fluids out change out spark plugs and wires sea foam and fuel stabilizer then work on bolt ons after you tackle all those areas
Yes on the magnets in filtration system! Excellent, informative video-a thing or two I had not yet thought/heard of~thanks for that....also love that last part as well..."maybe you just should'nt own a full size truck"~amen to that, quit griping people-it's a truck!
high tire pressure will get you better mpg it reduces the surface area of the tire in contact with the road and allows it to roll easier. you can test your self with any inflatable round object roll it down a hard surface with high air pressure and low and see for your self with rolls easier.
@@nikkowhite7732 I won't go over max tire pressure. but the pressure for a vehicle is listed in the data inside the driver side door. don't go to far above that though or it will wear out your suspension to fast.
I thought a larger diameter tire gave you better fuel economy? Since it drops down rpm at cruising speed on the street and highway.. only disadvantage is stop and go traffic where the bigger tire takes more gas to get it going
Installing an aftermarket air intake doesn't make sense to me. If you allow more air to flow in the engine, the ECU wants to increase the amount of fuel that is injected, in order to maintain correct air/fuel ratio. This will slightly increase the engine horsepower but it will sacrifice your fuel efficiency. That's just my thoughts, I don't know if that's 100% correct.
Sadžid Smajkić You're right if you open up the throttle a lot it would technically use more fuel. The idea making it easier to breath is if you drive economically it doesn't have to work as hard at lower engine speeds. More modern cars you're seeing free flowing exhaust and simple intake systems compared to the 90's.
Now it makes sense. I might try few of these techniques myself and see the results. I am not so crazy about gas mileage, I just like to experiment and find out what affects it the most. Thanks for the answer.
@@AnthonyJ350 yes and that is also where the tuner comes in as well. I change my intake and the tuner that I purchased has options for different air intakes among other things.
Tonneau cover, cold air intake and less restrictive exhaust system; great advice! I've always wanted an aftermarket intake and exhaust system, never knew they offered better mpg! If I were to only replace the headers rather than the whole exhaust system would it create a bottleneck effect?
Yeah cold air intake is terrible for efficiency. Use a warm air intake with a high flow filter. Running boards are fine for aerodynamics if they're the ones that seal to the body and the rear of the front wheel opening and the front of the rear wheel opening (not nerf bars). Steel wheels are fine if you put on smooth wheel covers to reduce wheel turbulence. Also you can reduce wheel turbulence with wheel well liners (not available for all trucks). Some trucks can also benefit from an aerodynamic wiper cowl molding. Use low rolling resistance tires and use tires that have your rim width as the maximum rim width. This will keep the sidewall more vertical and reduce wheel turbulence. Do an antenna relocation if you have an external antenna. Use winter wiper blades that don't extrude as high off the windshield. Index your spark plugs to point the open gap at the intake valve. Run a great synthetic low friction oil like Royal Purple with synerlec. Use low viscosity ATF from Amsoil if you have a newer generation automatic that spec's dexron vi, mercon lv, toyota ws, honda z1. I managed 30 us mpg with my old 1990 Silverado 2wd. Change to a synthetic gear oil in your diff. Put rare earth magnets on your engine oil filter to help trap metallics in the oil filter instead of letting them circulate in your engine oil. Don't run ethanol blended fuels. Make a belly pan out of some corrugated plastic and support it with bolts, washers, and small boxbar aluminum. Getting an obd2 elm327 unit off ebay and using torque lite on android can be a great way to get all your real time sensor data to monitor how to drive and learn how to drive efficiently. I do agree about having a good set of headers and good exhaust. They help you generate more torque lower down in the rpm range if you have a pushrod. Check out silverado30mpg.t15.org
Covers on the back of a pickup do not actually increase mileage. A shut tailgate and open bed are the best solution. when driving down the road with an open truck bed, the air in the back of the truck creates a low pressure vortex that will keep the faster moving air over the truck, essentially creating a slipstream. If you don't believe me, search for it on google. The Mythbusters did all the testing and came up with these results.
Good video, however the bed cover doesn't really mater, neither does the tailgate spoiler. the cab moves enough air that on that truck you shouldn't have the air stream even touching the bed after 45 MPH. I haven't tested any 8' beds, but I'd image they do the same thing at 55 MPH or so.
I my self don't have a full size truck caus3 I don't do a lot of big hevy loads but I still lick to have a truck so I have a 97 ranger 2.3 wich gets grate MPG and really I think the tail gate spoiler and the front spliter help alot
I use and add DIECYL to the dieselfuel .........incresased protection and decreseased fuel consumption .......... 4.3 L diesel for 100 Km ( = 1.05669 Gallon for 62.137 miles )
Great video anthonyj350, I have an '84 Ram, great shape. However it is a pig on gas. When I hear people saying "I put a chip in my truck, now it uses less gas", what chip are they describing? Also, since mine is an '84, would it be too old to put a chip in? Do this may be far fetched but would it be worth buying light weight fenders/doors/hood? I'm not sure of a company who makes light weight parts for old trucks but there may be one out there. Thanks
Also avoid needless application of the brake pedal while driving at speeds of 65mph or higher on the interstate. It seems very simple but many people forget that inconsistent application of the engine at higher speeds results in poor fuel economy and a reduction in vehicle longevity as this can stress out components of a vehicle such as u-joints, transmissions, and drive axles.
If possible, look ahead of traffic in your immediate area. Slowly ease your foot off of the gas pedal to maintain a consistent deceleration engine RPM. When you get good at this process, you'll be able to slow down to a standstill without needing to use the brakes much at all.
AnthonyJ350 Great video btw. I drive a compact pickup truck instead of a full-sized truck. Despite that fact, there is still valuable information I've relearned from this video. Keep it up! And maybe even follow this video up with a part two.
My 2002 GMC 1500 Z71 has been moded and I have true dual exhaust thrush short turbo mufflers no cats internal mods on engine pushing 350-360HP true cold air intake and I stay off freeways drive with cruise on at 60 and get about 21-24MPG but city driving or the winter because it because it idles almost all day and plow snow that drop way down to 10-12MPG on a good day. I think driving habits is really where its at thats the biggest and best you can do. Lukas is a nice product but with your newer fuel injected engines you dont need to run injector cleaners because the gas alone cleans them as gas is a solvent.
AnthonyJ350 that's what makes them a good product I like their transmission and power steering additive. I got a transmission to last over a extra year on an old truck now I add it to all transmission service I done. I also seen it revive a whiny power steering pump. I would always recommend it to customers. I would add it at cost just because its a great product.
AnthonyJ350 it is a nice additive to use for other things then as a cleaner as fuel injected engines don't need a cleaner. I just like to let people know that cleaners are not needed now days. It is also good for the fuel pump to help lower the friction and keep it cool. Just like you should run a car down to or below 1/4 take as the gas itself is what keeps it cool and running below 1/4 take over time causes premature fuel pump failure.
most of your tips are spot on, however your advice on cold air and headers is wrong for maximum mpg. cold air is good for power but bad for economy. also backpressure is a good thing because your car or truck is tuned from the factory for it. reducing backpressure is good for power provided you reflash your pcm to maximize the changes. check out some vids from hypermilers. they modify their intakes to take in warmer air vs colder air.
ktumbleweed thanks brother, 2 degrees here and noticed my 2.7 Ecoboost seem to be a tad peppier than it usually is and fuel Milege didn’t seem as good as usual. What you said makes sense!
True, back pressure is a big factor. But he did recommend getting a tuner. If you get a decent tuner you would be able to address that issue. You do have to be very careful with those type of changes though, lots of potential problems when you start messing around with headers. Very expensive and not really getting much for in my opinion, especially with the shorties. today's exhaust manifolds are pretty efficient and I'm not sure how much of a difference it's going to make. A lot of those headers develop leaks, and crack over time. Of course that's a generalization, but I don't think they are as reliable and robust as stock manifolds most of the time
also NO hand held programmer can adjust AF ratio on half open throttle. ONLY and I mean ONLY wide open throttle, which is irrelevant for getting good MPG.
On a gas engine, no you'll never get a significant increase in MPG from intake and exhaust. Wheels you could, depending on weight, shape, and such. For example, if you go from an all terrain tire on a steel rim to a well designed aluminum rim with low rolling resistance, you could see 3-5 MPG increase easily. But in the long run, this is never going to pay its self off in MPG. If you can find rims on a donor truck you have for some reason its worth switching but not worth spending money on. However on a diesel, which doesn't need any back pressure to run properly, reducing air flow restrictions can give an increase of up to 5MPG in some cases... Though a catback even on a diesel wont do much of anything as most the restriction is the cat.
Do you recommend a AEM drop-in dry air filter with the stock air box? I don't want to use the K&N drop-in filter on my 2010 Chevrolet Silverado truck cause I have heard that the oil off of the filter can damage my Mass air flow sensor. What are your thoughts on the AEM dry drop-in air filter? Thanka
I have changed my setup to a Airaid modular intake tube and a K&N drop in filter for serviceability. The reason why people say the pil comes off is because they are over oiling them and dropping them in immediately. Watch this video and I show you a simple trick to avoid that. I just don't see dry filters lasting as long over time or cleaning the air as effectively. ruclips.net/video/GJUAf-CDUSA/видео.html
I gotta suggestion get rid of the emissions system completely everything from the cat back, make the pipe larger like on my truck it has a 3in exhaust no cat no muffler (1999 dodge ram 2500 from TEXAS below the salt line none of that nasty ass rust shit.) To fix the check engine light, replace the down stream o2 sensor with a up stream o2 sensor in turn allows it to not run rich. My truck went from having 12.3 miles a gallon hwy 10.6 city to 16.9 hwy 14.2 city. And honestly it does matter, about the drive style when I let comes to doing this.
You could tune the truck to ignore the rear sensors, install high flow cats and run a 14" body Magnaflow, all through a 3" system. It will flow and won't sound so obnoxious.
@@AnthonyJ350 tuning is an option, however you have to buy the tuner which could be expensive. The noise part isn't really all that loud. At least on my truck that is, as soon as I let off the gas you can't really tell it's that loud. (At least in the cab... From the outside it's not that bad either though still a bit loud). the only weird part I would say with the 3" straight, is the fact that i get asked if it's a diesel a lot. Though the options you have provided, are very good one for an increase in mpg if you have the cash to spend.
@@christopherfrantz6223 I prefer dyno tuning because you're confirming you're not leaning out the engine and you can correct other driveability aspects if you're modified.
Is it possible for someone to mention which fuels , with their relevant octane ratings , suit the different engines compression ratios . I know cars with 10:1 compression ratio engines usually use 98 octane fuels . Also if lower octane is all you can get , the spark timing can be altered to tune it to the fuel . Well , that's what I've heard .
Your owners manual should tell you what fuel to use. Some people have the misconception that the higher the octane the better the fuel is. That couldn't be further from the truth. If you put in a higher octane rated fuel than what is needed for your engine, your fuel mileage could go down and you are spending more money than you need to. The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns given the same compression on the same engine. The octane rating is the fuels resistance to pre combustion. That is when the fuel ignites from the spark plug, and the pressure somewhere else in the cylinder, along with a hot spot ignites the fuel where it shouldn't be ignited yet. When the two flame fronts meet, it creates higher than normal cylinder pressures and makes the knocking noise. Needless to say this isn't good for a lot of engine parts, including gas mileage. If you use the correct octane rated fuel for your vehicle, your mileage shouldn't suffer. There is no really good reference for what fuel to use with certain compression ratios. Every engine will be different. This is due to head choice, camshaft choice, induction choice, header or exhaust manifold choice, timing settings, etc. One engine that you build or have in your vehicle, could and sometimes does, respond differently to fuels. For example; station A gets it's fuel from number 1 fuel farm. Station B gets its fuel from number 2 fuel farm. Both are rated 92 octane, but 1 of them is actually a little better at 93 octane. One day you decide to fill up at station A, which has 92 octane. you have your car tuned to run on the 93 octane, and you notice that a little while after filling up, your car has a little rattle under acceleration. Difference of fuel. What you really need is to run the lowest octane that you can run in your vehicle without pre ignition, and stay with that station. I know I went into a little depth here, You have to understand that even though you may already know what has been said by me, there are a lot of people that read these that may need to hear what I have wrote. I do not know everything as some people will most likely say, I only wrote what I know to be true. If someone can prove me wrong, please let me know. please do it in a respectful way, otherwise I will not even begin to try to change my thoughts.
There are very few production vehicles that require 93 octane fuel, Viper, Vette, and vehicles in that league. 89 is a blend of 87 and 93 and therefore a waste of money. anything requiring 98 octane is on the race track
MrKS Did you ever look at the specs of GM's XFE truck? Lowered, air dam, tonneau and a lip spoiler on the tailgate so the vacuum would happen after the truck. That's the science of a manufacturer doing extensive testing for a much longer period of time vs myth busters.
I have but that shits annoying. its on every little thing."oh no a ford has a scratch on it. that must mean chevy is superior. wow a chevy blew an engine, so that has to mean that dodges can out run anyone" its just getting obnoxious
A good tune for the environment you live in. Elevation makes a difference. A good intake manifold and a carb spacer would help because of where fuel is delivered.
I get about 7.5mpg in my 09 2500hd… is that bad? Anybody else getting that? Never had an engine light come on.. but I do have grounding issues and have ha one fuse box go out and have another on its way out.. it has 123000 miles on it
"If you're not using a truck for what its meant for, then maybe you just shouldn't own a truck." You obviously are not from Texas! Just kidding bro. Love your video. You have some great tips there.
I would not want to set it to economy settings and loose power just to gain 1-2mpg...my truck is meant for work..and off road fun. I didn't buy a truck cause i wanted good fuel economy, i brought a truck cause i needed (and wanted) one for work and fun. ill take a little less fuel economy for good performance anyday... and I know other people have stated this already, but a Tonneau Cover will do NOTHING to improve mpgs..
My Silverado is a '97 7.4L C2500. I'm running Castrol Syntec (now called Edge) in it, and a K&N cold-air intake kit. I change it on a 6000 mile rotation and clean the K&N when it looks like it could use a cleaning. I changed the plugs (Bosch Platinum) and wires (BWD) shortly after I bought it, and haven't touched them since. It's mileage has remained consistent with the mileage when the plugs and wires were new. I have gotten 12.5MPG/City, 15.5MPH/Hwy from it, when driven somewhat conservatively, which is better than the numbers the EPA claims, though that's often not the case, as I'm a bit of a lead-foot.
AnthonyJ350 ok. Thanks, I have a 2014 Ford F-150 5.0 with 134,700k miles should I use the 5w-20 ford motor craft oil I bought it with 129700k miles so my first oil change myself
@@connorbarnett7494 I would check out this RUclipsr. He is a Ford tech and has a lot of insight of what engine oil to use etc ruclips.net/user/FordTechMakuloco
My understanding is that shorties used unequal-length short tubes from the engine block to a collector pipe; while long tube headers use equal-length long tubes between the engine and the collector pipe. The equal-length tubes are supposed to equalize backpressure and exhaust gas velocity for all cylinders, but they tend to be pretty big overall so they require other modifications for fitment. Shorties are easier to fit inside an otherwise stock engine compartment, but because of space limitations, their tubes are unequal in length, which leads to unequal ehaust characteristics from each of the cylinders. I've heard some say that one increases low-RPM power, while the other increase high-RPM power. But I don't get that.
Colt Still myth busters did a segment on this and the truck without a bed cover did a little better. Something about a bubble of air forms in the empty bed, where the bedcover acts like a giant rear wing and makes drag.
Good video but in all honesty a cold air intake will not give you better fuel mileage, and of course neither a throttle body spacer or programming. It's a in foot control. A cold sorry intake brings more air in Yes, but in turn the ecu mixes more fuel so maybe 5-10 hp but No gains. Tbs is worthless don't even worry with those. They may help tbi trucks 94 and older. A programmer with tunes already set in it will give you some power but nothing like a custom in person tune trust me I've had both
exhaust intake and a tune specifically for economy will increase fuel mileage however you are correct if you just do a intake the stock ecu will adjust however he discussed doing a tuner for economy not performance it will lower the power band and throttle response with that said I only rec a tuner if it comes with three or more tunes economy 87 towing 87 towing 93 and performance tune if you want all with hurt your gasmileage except the economy 87octane
You'll definitely get an improvement (depending on your driving habits) but nowhere that high. I'd be really impressed if you approach close to 30mpg on the highway. It's hard to really improve city mileage because moving all that weight uses a lot of energy.
AnthonyJ350 thanks for getting back to me. I found it very interesting that just making a few driving adjustments (behavioral changes) behind the wheel could have such a huge impact on fuel mileage. I took a short highway trip yesterday in my new 2014 GMC Sierra Crew Cab Z-71 4x4 SLT 5.3 engine 3.42 rear end with 20" all terrain tires.the truck has approx 2500 miles on it. My average over that 25 mile trip even with idling to warm up was 27.1 mpg. I did get a few angry stares as people passed me LOL but you simply have to let the vehicle slow a bit on the hills etc and get the feel of it. The DIC tells you constantly what your average is and if you watch it closely you can train yourself to make appropriate throttle positioning to maximize mpg. These new GM 5.3 engines/trans combinations are amazing. The truck weighs in at 5216 lbs empty so there is a lot of mass to move. I just signed up for the Fuelly site to track my mileage from here forward so this should be fun.
Darryl S Hello. I have been a mechanic for most of my life. (over 50 years old now) With the older carbureted engines and the older type of oil, a warm up period is sometimes needed. With the newer fuel injected engines and the newer oil a warm up peiod of no more than 30 seconds at temperatures over 40 degrees Fahrenheit is more than adequate. Lower temps a little longer is okay. Approaching zero or colder, 2 minutes is more than enough. According to where you live it will vary some. 5 minutes of idling in the southern half of the US is a waste of engine and gas. The longer you idle your engine the more wear you induce. Some of your engine parts are oiled by splash. Idling an engine excessively doesn't allow proper oiling. A new engine, (like yours) has enough oil pressure to oil by splash most of the time. (read that as most engines) What I recommend is that when the temperature is over 40 degrees, start the engine as soon as you get in. Put on your seat belts, check the adjustments of seats, mirrors, etc. Look around, and by the time that is done, your engine is ready to go. Like I said earlier, as it gets colder, then you could let it idle longer. Your engine will thank you with a long life.
Darryl S 27.1 mpg? How fast were you going, 55? I've never seen that high of MPG in a V8 4x4 truck unless I was barely putting along and I've owned both GM and Ford. Hell my wife's 4 banger Buick gets 30-31 mpg at 70 mph.
the bed cover comment is completely wrong everything that goes in or on a bed ive ever seen hurts the gas mileage the bed creates a vortec that allows the wind to flow smoothly over the bed putting a cover or shell etc will hurt the gasmileage there is one example of one that starts high and then ends at the top of the tailgate im interested in seeing its ability to flow air but 100% of bed covers ive seen actually hurt gasmileage
@@AnthonyJ350 dealers also come with bigger wheels and other non gasmileage saving parts its aerodynamics you cant fight the physics these covers help keep your stuff locked up or dry which is nice but that does not help gas mileage literally go google the results youll see that this claim is 100% false
I have lost mpg ever since a fuel pump change, have changed it out and still getting same mpg, any ideas? Could it be because of the change of gap (went from 060 to 040 according to gm) my truck is a 2000 tahoe 5.3
Yes sir, 2 times its very frustrating i love my truck and am looking into upgrading it, its just the facy of getting 215 miles per tank that is killing me, my other tahoe ('04) gives me 275 mpg city
Funny how the government is so worried about fossil fuels yet they dnt add cold air intakes or tune trucks for mikeage. A suburban could wasily come from thw factory with 300hp and 22 to 25 mpg with the rt intakes pluss the parts are so cheap itd barely change the price. If ur soending 60k pluss anyways wtf is an extra grand for better fuel economy.
You'll never see return on investment on the exhaust from increased fuel savings. Also your methodology on helper springs is all wrong. "Flat spotting" your tires isn't a problem if you're staying within the limits of the GVWR anyways, which the helper springs will not reduce the weight on your tires like you said, they're still carrying the same weight even with the helper springs. Also the tonneau covers do not reduce drag IMO, and from having one on my truck they do not help with fuel mileage, like you hinted at with the tailgate wing, there is a vortex of air that spins behind the truck and helps reduce drag.... same thing happens in the bed with no cover on and an empty bed. The air in the bed spins and smooths the air coming over the cab for less drag. Myth busters did a great test over it on tailgate up vs tailgate down. And with a cover you just can't get the air coming over the cab smoothed out.
Drew w But why did the XFE Sierra have a tonneau cover? Also Nascar trucks are designed with the beds closed at the top. Plus you should have one for security anyways. By flat spotting I mean if your suspension cannot work when you are pushing payload the tires are doing more of the suspension work because the suspension is almost bottomed out. Exhaust maybe not compared to modern exhaust design (most are mandrel bent now) but if you look at GM they offer a performance exhaust and have shown some gains on the dyno showing there is still restriction, plus the sound is worth it.
AnthonyJ350 Nascar trucks also don't have a real bed so there is no flat floor for air to push against for air vortex to work, it's either chassis and axle components or open, they also need the down force over the rear end. Bed cover that came with XFE sierra is a factory option. As for the security aspects of a bed cover yes at times the security is nice, but at the same time gives owners a nice place to keep unneeded weight. I've got a painted to match leer topper on my truck and it's helped exactly none in fuel mileage aspects, and I think makes for worse fuel mileage on my 2012 Silverado since you don't get the air swirl working in the bed which helps to keep air coming over the truck smooth as well some what "pushes" on the back of the cab, where as with a topper the air just tries to sit on top of it and slide off with turbulent air right behind the cab. The suspension will work fine regardless of the load as long as you're within safe load for what the truck is rated for, that's what it was designed around and why the manufacture sets the payload at. And chooses tires that can safely handle the load it's rated for. Helper springs only make for a more comfortable ride and less body roll/ sway when loaded. And yea good flowing headers and exhaust pipe will surely help power you'll never see the money spent on those parts be returned in fuel savings as stated in the video. But personally I'll take the power over fuel savings and I plan to get long tubes and off road Y pipe for my 2012.
Finally someone who really understands how best to drive and modify your pickup. I use my pickup strickly for towing RVs. I lowered the rear 3 inches and 1 mpg , = 10% increase, installed used topper and added a deflector with extension to back of topper with vortex generators and increased mpg 18%. The lower dam in front is good idea. Irun high pressure in tires and installed 10 ply. and drive 55mph from Florida to Washington state yearly and save a bundle of $. Alway stay in right lane and be extremely courteous to truck drivers and they will appreciate it. California law is 55mph for all trailers. It makes for a lot more relaxing trip and doesn't to a lot longer. Start slow and look way ahead and around. Formula for speed or wind pressure is velocity squared by .0256 will give you pressure per square foot x area. About 23% less at 55 compared to 70mph which means fewer fuel stops. Relax and enjoy the ride.
Thanks for sharing all your experience! Lowering is a good idea for tow rigs. I saw a semi truck and the front bumper was only a few inches off the ground to prevent air from getting under the truck.
What tire pressure do you run.
All very good advice BUT just a few points I'd like to add/correct:
(1) after-market conical air filters are not meant for low revving cars
(2) giving less resistence to air in the intake will not give you better performance unless you tune acordingly the ECU
(3) longer piping is good for low rev high torque, shorter piping will yield higher torque at higher RPMs (you did mention this correctly in the video)
You covered a lot of topics and you did it very well. Great tips
I don't know if modifying the truck with proven bolt ons will break the truck. You might be doing something wrong there if you are. Also trucks are going to depreciate no matter what. You might as well build it up and enjoy the thing. I just haven't seen anyone personally break their vehicle due to using a recognized brand for intake and exhaust.
MY WIFE AND I STAY AT HOME A LOT - DOESN'T HELP ON MPG BUT THE OVER-ALL FUEL COSTS STAY WAY DOWN - LOL!!!!!!!
THIS WAS A GOOD DOWN TO EARTH VIDEO WITH MANY GOOD TIPS I THINK WILL HELP A LOT - THANKS - AND BRAVO!!!!!!!
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!
@@AnthonyJ350
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME, IT WAS A GOOD VIDEO!!!!!!!
@@AnthonyJ350😂😂 matching the energy
@@slicenrice9236 You have to lol
Another good way to gain an extra 5 mpg is to 'follow' someone on the road. Drive behind someone on a safe distance cause he is pushing all the wind in front of u. Tried thin on my honda car and it works.
One other tip is stay away from ethanol blended fuels. Ethanol as less energy per volume then gasoline.
Great tip! I prefer Shell 91 in my area right now.
@Tj Semeniuk Shell 91 cost more than Chevron 91 because in my area Chevron offers 94 octane.
I now use Shell 93 in my car and 87 for my daily.
Good tips. Regarding the aerodynamics and the rear spoiler. It actually does help as you stated it correctly. Check out this video by Ford regarding aerodynamics. The low pressure in the truck bed created by the passing air flow makes air flow over the truck bed. The tail gate up = less drag.
F-150 Aerodynamics: Where Art Meets Science
F-150 Aerodynamics: Where Art Meets Science
The one thing you did not say about tires is the width. A narrower tire lowers your friction on the road or highway and you get more mpg.
1stprinceoflite That is totally correct, thanks for pointing that out.
@@AnthonyJ350 true, and to go along with something u said before, the type of tires. You have the option of choosing wider or skinnier tires and also the load rating. If you choose something that's e-rated it will have more plies and will be much heavier and sturdier. Normally wouldn't be needed unless you are going to be loading your vehicle more, but some people don't look at that and it does add up when you are looking at four tires
On the highway if you drive it nice it's around 10% so a gain of an extra 2MPG.
Alryt I'm happy to see another Canadian doing these improves!! Thanks for the video. The conditions in our severe weather does affect the engine performance in general. so I believe these are really good tips and when followed in ideal weather conditions around; the world I think it should improvise fuel efficiency big time.
Thanks for watching!
I did everything he said and went from 16 mpg to 53 mpg Thanks dude
Bullshit!
Every two hundred miles I have to drain the gas tank or it will overflow
this is a very good video not only for trucks but for passenger cars too. i was expecting small facts that everyone knew but you went the extra mile and practically when through most of the main systems to maximize fuel economy. i would expand on driving habits cuz that is a big one. people floor it on green like if theyre racing to the next red light.
Keeping the revs as low as possible, vacuum as high as possible, coasting (off the throttle or on neutral) as much as possible and not exceeding 65mph on the freeway and avoiding high traffic or slow speed areas will help tremendously.
Thanks for watching!
Driving habits on a well maintained vehicle give better results than all the others combined. Driving habits include a lot more than how fast you accelerate and stop.
Totally agree
What type of fuel system do you have??? Ya making the truck a little lighter would help if you do a lot of city driving. You have to evaluate the cost though. If those parts cost a lot, it might take a long time to get your money back. You might as well put that money towards gas. As far as tunes, the ecu should be tuned more towards economy as opposed to performance.
Thank you for the tips. However, I am more impressed with adding hydrogen from ammonia in a fuel cell or adding a fuel vaporizer. Both of those can improve performance, cleaner emissions and mileage gain up to 40% at a much less costs.
How do this work if can more info plz??
More cash has been poured in this truck than will ever be spent on fuel... having said that, this video was cool to watch and well formulated.
To be fair, I have owned the truck for 14 years.
This video wouldn't really be beneficial if you owned the vehicle for 4 years or less
I like gen 2 gas Rams. With oversized plug wires, good plugs, MSD coil, new filter I got 4-5 mpgs on my 2000 4x4. I got the exhaust to do next.
I already went from 10-12 mpgs to 14-17. Plus power. She was sluggish at first.
O yeah and recently the Big Gulp throttle body which really kicked it up a notch.
I wanna do the intake next
Nice!
Nice video with lots of helpful tips. Thanks.
One thing that bothers me about newer trucks is how tall they are. Vehicle height makes a big difference in fuel economy (drag) at highway speeds.
Great point!
Air raide throttle body riser, headers, large solar panel, K&N air filter, Lucas injection cleaner, removed the pump that pumps air into my exhuast, Air pressure to 38 psi on tires. I am at about 1000+ km on a 110 liter fill with my 88 chev extended cab long box 350 motor virtually all highway and very conservative driving
That's awesome! Driving habits are a big factor.
Engineers already done quite a few are dynamic studies on pickup trucks and found that a tonneau cover is pretty much useless unless you integrate the rear spoiler and a cab top rear spoiler. Otherwise tonneau cover alone still creates excessive drag behind each vertical wall.
Ford thinks the tonneau cover works in conjunction with the tailgate spoiler ruclips.net/video/oEkiDsVGr9c/видео.html
definitely sounded like you were about to start laughing at the end. "maybe you shouldnt own a full size truck". There are a lot of people in the US that drive trucks just so they can drive a truck. Which thats ok, i prefer driving a truck to a sedan, but its not very smart as a primary reason!
Yaaaa I crack myself up sometimes. Annnnnd then I have to edit it out.
That's a beautiful thing, you don't really need a good reason. As long as that's what you like, that's what's important.
Do you a before mpg and after you made all these mods mpg?
Thanks! I'm an installer by trade, and a hobbyist on weekends.
taller tires will change your gear ration to a higher number. i.e. from 3.55 to 3.23 for example. this will decrease your engine rpm and increase fuel mileage. I have a 99 ram 2wd 5.9 magnum, with 130k on it. when new this truck was rated at 15mpg city, 17 hwy. I now get 16.5 combined with a change from the 22575r16 tires to a 24575r16, kn cold air system, flowmaster exhaust and 180 vs 195 tstat. I drive this truck 90 miles round trip every day 6 days a week. And by the way, I stand on it every chance I get
Big ranch hand cost me 1mpg on a 3/4 ton 4x4. I've hit 2 deer with the truck and I'm glad to give up a mpg to save lights grille and hood
Thanks for the comment, we just did a video covering grille guards ruclips.net/video/aOja7O9IiWA/видео.html
In running a 2007 Chevy Silverado 1500 HD (Classic Body style) with a 6.0L gasser..Darn thing was sitting at like 27.8L/ 100 km at one point; however, I soon realized that just accelerating and breaking slower helped drop it down to 21.9L/ 100 km. Its not the best, but it helped me.
Thanks for sharing! What size tires are you running?
there is nothing about the engine being colder that is going to tell the ECU to send less fuel into the combustion chamber. there is also nothing about a fresh or new air filter that will tell the ECU to send less fuel to the combustion chamber. If you disagree then you simply dont understand fuel injected motor fuel delivery systems.
My dad has a K&N on his Cummins... Runs great!
Thanks for sharing!
First I would start with this if you just get a car start with doing brakes all around including any bushings rotors and calipers or for my truck drums in the back then start with an oil change clean air filter and intake flush all old fluids out change out spark plugs and wires sea foam and fuel stabilizer then work on bolt ons after you tackle all those areas
Thanks for sharing!
Yes on the magnets in filtration system! Excellent, informative video-a thing or two I had not yet thought/heard of~thanks for that....also love that last part as well..."maybe you just should'nt own a full size truck"~amen to that, quit griping people-it's a truck!
+RV thereyet? Haha, thanks for the comment :)
high tire pressure will get you better mpg it reduces the surface area of the tire in contact with the road and allows it to roll easier. you can test your self with any inflatable round object roll it down a hard surface with high air pressure and low and see for your self with rolls easier.
Won't you get uneven wear?
when you say high tire pressure do you mean the max PSI listed on the actual Tire or are you over filling it?
@@AnthonyJ350 Only above max tire pressure.
@@nikkowhite7732 I won't go over max tire pressure. but the pressure for a vehicle is listed in the data inside the driver side door. don't go to far above that though or it will wear out your suspension to fast.
I thought a larger diameter tire gave you better fuel economy? Since it drops down rpm at cruising speed on the street and highway.. only disadvantage is stop and go traffic where the bigger tire takes more gas to get it going
Integra DIY you're absolutely right but you have to consider the rolling resistance (highway tire vs all terrain) and added width.
Dang canucks, gave us John Candy and great RUclips Videos, awesome job. Also Hockey where they still stand when the National Anthems is played.
Thanks for watching!
Installing an aftermarket air intake doesn't make sense to me. If you allow more air to flow in the engine, the ECU wants to increase the amount of fuel that is injected, in order to maintain correct air/fuel ratio. This will slightly increase the engine horsepower but it will sacrifice your fuel efficiency. That's just my thoughts, I don't know if that's 100% correct.
Sadžid Smajkić You're right if you open up the throttle a lot it would technically use more fuel. The idea making it easier to breath is if you drive economically it doesn't have to work as hard at lower engine speeds. More modern cars you're seeing free flowing exhaust and simple intake systems compared to the 90's.
Now it makes sense. I might try few of these techniques myself and see the results. I am not so crazy about gas mileage, I just like to experiment and find out what affects it the most.
Thanks for the answer.
@@AnthonyJ350 yes and that is also where the tuner comes in as well. I change my intake and the tuner that I purchased has options for different air intakes among other things.
Definately add Lucas injector cleaner. I also add slick 50 with oil change sometimes
Thanks for sharing 🙂 What's the mileage on your vehicle now?
@@AnthonyJ350 290,000kms
@@JohnDoe12515 That's awesome, good job 👍
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Tonneau cover, cold air intake and less restrictive exhaust system; great advice! I've always wanted an aftermarket intake and exhaust system, never knew they offered better mpg! If I were to only replace the headers rather than the whole exhaust system would it create a bottleneck effect?
I would like to know that too
I would guess it depends on how it reacts with the rest of the exhaust
Yeah cold air intake is terrible for efficiency. Use a warm air intake with a high flow filter. Running boards are fine for aerodynamics if they're the ones that seal to the body and the rear of the front wheel opening and the front of the rear wheel opening (not nerf bars). Steel wheels are fine if you put on smooth wheel covers to reduce wheel turbulence. Also you can reduce wheel turbulence with wheel well liners (not available for all trucks). Some trucks can also benefit from an aerodynamic wiper cowl molding. Use low rolling resistance tires and use tires that have your rim width as the maximum rim width. This will keep the sidewall more vertical and reduce wheel turbulence. Do an antenna relocation if you have an external antenna. Use winter wiper blades that don't extrude as high off the windshield. Index your spark plugs to point the open gap at the intake valve. Run a great synthetic low friction oil like Royal Purple with synerlec. Use low viscosity ATF from Amsoil if you have a newer generation automatic that spec's dexron vi, mercon lv, toyota ws, honda z1. I managed 30 us mpg with my old 1990 Silverado 2wd. Change to a synthetic gear oil in your diff. Put rare earth magnets on your engine oil filter to help trap metallics in the oil filter instead of letting them circulate in your engine oil. Don't run ethanol blended fuels. Make a belly pan out of some corrugated plastic and support it with bolts, washers, and small boxbar aluminum. Getting an obd2 elm327 unit off ebay and using torque lite on android can be a great way to get all your real time sensor data to monitor how to drive and learn how to drive efficiently. I do agree about having a good set of headers and good exhaust. They help you generate more torque lower down in the rpm range if you have a pushrod.
Check out silverado30mpg.t15.org
Covers on the back of a pickup do not actually increase mileage. A shut tailgate and open bed are the best solution. when driving down the road with an open truck bed, the air in the back of the truck creates a low pressure vortex that will keep the faster moving air over the truck, essentially creating a slipstream. If you don't believe me, search for it on google. The Mythbusters did all the testing and came up with these results.
This video in the wind tunnel says the tonneau cover will work the best ruclips.net/video/oEkiDsVGr9c/видео.html
Good video, however the bed cover doesn't really mater, neither does the tailgate spoiler. the cab moves enough air that on that truck you shouldn't have the air stream even touching the bed after 45 MPH. I haven't tested any 8' beds, but I'd image they do the same thing at 55 MPH or so.
Your truck has spark advanced tables for low and high octane so high octane can give you better mpg and performance
Thanks for sharing!
I my self don't have a full size truck caus3 I don't do a lot of big hevy loads but I still lick to have a truck so I have a 97 ranger 2.3 wich gets grate MPG and really I think the tail gate spoiler and the front spliter help alot
what do you lick, to have your truck?
2004 silverado 5.3 gets 15.5 in town with 31'' at tires and 2'' leveling kit. And power like a sumbitch.
I use and add DIECYL to the dieselfuel .........incresased protection and decreseased fuel consumption .......... 4.3 L diesel for 100 Km ( = 1.05669 Gallon for 62.137 miles )
Great video anthonyj350,
I have an '84 Ram, great shape. However it is a pig on gas. When I hear people saying "I put a chip in my truck, now it uses less gas", what chip are they describing? Also, since mine is an '84, would it be too old to put a chip in?
Do this may be far fetched but would it be worth buying light weight fenders/doors/hood? I'm not sure of a company who makes light weight parts for old trucks but there may be one out there.
Thanks
Wow! Look at those sexy gas prices compared to 2022 prices. 🤦🏻♂️
Keep in mind it's dollar per litre in the video.
Also avoid needless application of the brake pedal while driving at speeds of 65mph or higher on the interstate. It seems very simple but many people forget that inconsistent application of the engine at higher speeds results in poor fuel economy and a reduction in vehicle longevity as this can stress out components of a vehicle such as u-joints, transmissions, and drive axles.
If possible, look ahead of traffic in your immediate area. Slowly ease your foot off of the gas pedal to maintain a consistent deceleration engine RPM. When you get good at this process, you'll be able to slow down to a standstill without needing to use the brakes much at all.
Great tips!
AnthonyJ350 Great video btw. I drive a compact pickup truck instead of a full-sized truck. Despite that fact, there is still valuable information I've relearned from this video. Keep it up! And maybe even follow this video up with a part two.
My 2002 GMC 1500 Z71 has been moded and I have true dual exhaust thrush short turbo mufflers no cats internal mods on engine pushing 350-360HP true cold air intake and I stay off freeways drive with cruise on at 60 and get about 21-24MPG but city driving or the winter because it because it idles almost all day and plow snow that drop way down to 10-12MPG on a good day. I think driving habits is really where its at thats the biggest and best you can do. Lukas is a nice product but with your newer fuel injected engines you dont need to run injector cleaners because the gas alone cleans them as gas is a solvent.
Boot 185 I like the Lucas for the lubricating properties. It's suppose to give similar benefits as lead as far as lubrication.
AnthonyJ350 that's what makes them a good product I like their transmission and power steering additive. I got a transmission to last over a extra year on an old truck now I add it to all transmission service I done. I also seen it revive a whiny power steering pump. I would always recommend it to customers. I would add it at cost just because its a great product.
Boot 185 Wait so do you agree putting it in the fuel or not?
AnthonyJ350 it is a nice additive to use for other things then as a cleaner as fuel injected engines don't need a cleaner. I just like to let people know that cleaners are not needed now days. It is also good for the fuel pump to help lower the friction and keep it cool. Just like you should run a car down to or below 1/4 take as the gas itself is what keeps it cool and running below 1/4 take over time causes premature fuel pump failure.
Boot 185 Ahhh I see.
I live in montana. So the heavy snow tires, the 250lbs steel bumper and a canopy are required. I guess I can just forget about good gas mileage
Good driving habits will reduce fuel consumption and reduce wear on other parts
most of your tips are spot on, however your advice on cold air and headers is wrong for maximum mpg. cold air is good for power but bad for economy. also backpressure is a good thing because your car or truck is tuned from the factory for it. reducing backpressure is good for power provided you reflash your pcm to maximize the changes. check out some vids from hypermilers. they modify their intakes to take in warmer air vs colder air.
ktumbleweed thanks brother, 2 degrees here and noticed my 2.7 Ecoboost seem to be a tad peppier than it usually is and fuel Milege didn’t seem as good as usual. What you said makes sense!
True, back pressure is a big factor. But he did recommend getting a tuner. If you get a decent tuner you would be able to address that issue. You do have to be very careful with those type of changes though, lots of potential problems when you start messing around with headers. Very expensive and not really getting much for in my opinion, especially with the shorties. today's exhaust manifolds are pretty efficient and I'm not sure how much of a difference it's going to make. A lot of those headers develop leaks, and crack over time. Of course that's a generalization, but I don't think they are as reliable and robust as stock manifolds most of the time
Back pressure is not a good thing. You want to maximize exhaust gas flow. Very different but gets people confused a lot.
Two Spiralmaxes in the exhaust tip is one of best buys.
Thanks for the comment!
also NO hand held programmer can adjust AF ratio on half open throttle. ONLY and I mean ONLY wide open throttle, which is irrelevant for getting good MPG.
Actually cleaning each fuel injector or even better replacing them. Will give them more significant increase in fuel economy.
What about regularly using a fuel treatment like Lucas? I haven't noticed a significant change in fuel economy for 14 years
THANKS FOR THE VIDEO...I LEARNED A FEW TRICKS
Not sure if spending $2000+ on new wheels, cat back exhaust, and headers is worth the 2-3mpg they might get you in the long run...
On a gas engine, no you'll never get a significant increase in MPG from intake and exhaust. Wheels you could, depending on weight, shape, and such. For example, if you go from an all terrain tire on a steel rim to a well designed aluminum rim with low rolling resistance, you could see 3-5 MPG increase easily. But in the long run, this is never going to pay its self off in MPG. If you can find rims on a donor truck you have for some reason its worth switching but not worth spending money on.
However on a diesel, which doesn't need any back pressure to run properly, reducing air flow restrictions can give an increase of up to 5MPG in some cases... Though a catback even on a diesel wont do much of anything as most the restriction is the cat.
Do you recommend a AEM drop-in dry air filter with the stock air box? I don't want to use the K&N drop-in filter on my 2010 Chevrolet Silverado truck cause I have heard that the oil off of the filter can damage my Mass air flow sensor. What are your thoughts on the AEM dry drop-in air filter? Thanka
I have changed my setup to a Airaid modular intake tube and a K&N drop in filter for serviceability. The reason why people say the pil comes off is because they are over oiling them and dropping them in immediately. Watch this video and I show you a simple trick to avoid that. I just don't see dry filters lasting as long over time or cleaning the air as effectively.
ruclips.net/video/GJUAf-CDUSA/видео.html
Get the green drop in filter.
There is 91 octane here in Australia with ethanol in it .
It's a losing battle trying to squeeze the little bit of mpg out of a truck. I drive a 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 and I get like 12 mpg.
City? What do you get on the highway?
Beautiful indeed. well presented. thumbs up
Thanks for watching!
You suggest doing alot of small things to a truck. They all count!
Yup, adds up to a better running and sometimes more reliable truck.
Best way to emotive mpg is reduce weight, get a small light car :-)
I gotta suggestion get rid of the emissions system completely everything from the cat back, make the pipe larger like on my truck it has a 3in exhaust no cat no muffler (1999 dodge ram 2500 from TEXAS below the salt line none of that nasty ass rust shit.) To fix the check engine light, replace the down stream o2 sensor with a up stream o2 sensor in turn allows it to not run rich. My truck went from having 12.3 miles a gallon hwy 10.6 city to 16.9 hwy 14.2 city. And honestly it does matter, about the drive style when I let comes to doing this.
You could tune the truck to ignore the rear sensors, install high flow cats and run a 14" body Magnaflow, all through a 3" system. It will flow and won't sound so obnoxious.
@@AnthonyJ350 tuning is an option, however you have to buy the tuner which could be expensive. The noise part isn't really all that loud. At least on my truck that is, as soon as I let off the gas you can't really tell it's that loud. (At least in the cab... From the outside it's not that bad either though still a bit loud). the only weird part I would say with the 3" straight, is the fact that i get asked if it's a diesel a lot. Though the options you have provided, are very good one for an increase in mpg if you have the cash to spend.
@@christopherfrantz6223 I prefer dyno tuning because you're confirming you're not leaning out the engine and you can correct other driveability aspects if you're modified.
Good tips and not just for trucks.
rodriguez hill Glad it helped!
Thanks for the video. Helps
Thanks for watching!
Drafting behind semi best gas mileage 😊
Theory for sure, can be a little dangerous.
Is it possible for someone to mention which fuels , with their relevant octane ratings , suit the different engines compression ratios . I know cars with 10:1 compression ratio engines usually use 98 octane fuels . Also if lower octane is all you can get , the spark timing can be altered to tune it to the fuel . Well , that's what I've heard .
Your owners manual should tell you what fuel to use. Some people have the misconception that the higher the octane the better the fuel is. That couldn't be further from the truth.
If you put in a higher octane rated fuel than what is needed for your engine, your fuel mileage could go down and you are spending more money than you need to.
The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns given the same compression on the same engine. The octane rating is the fuels resistance to pre combustion. That is when the fuel ignites from the spark plug, and the pressure somewhere else in the cylinder, along with a hot spot ignites the fuel where it shouldn't be ignited yet. When the two flame fronts meet, it creates higher than normal cylinder pressures and makes the knocking noise. Needless to say this isn't good for a lot of engine parts, including gas mileage.
If you use the correct octane rated fuel for your vehicle, your mileage shouldn't suffer.
There is no really good reference for what fuel to use with certain compression ratios. Every engine will be different. This is due to head choice, camshaft choice, induction choice, header or exhaust manifold choice, timing settings, etc.
One engine that you build or have in your vehicle, could and sometimes does, respond differently to fuels. For example; station A gets it's fuel from number 1 fuel farm. Station B gets its fuel from number 2 fuel farm. Both are rated 92 octane, but 1 of them is actually a little better at 93 octane. One day you decide to fill up at station A, which has 92 octane. you have your car tuned to run on the 93 octane, and you notice that a little while after filling up, your car has a little rattle under acceleration. Difference of fuel.
What you really need is to run the lowest octane that you can run in your vehicle without pre ignition, and stay with that station.
I know I went into a little depth here, You have to understand that even though you may already know what has been said by me, there are a lot of people that read these that may need to hear what I have wrote.
I do not know everything as some people will most likely say, I only wrote what I know to be true. If someone can prove me wrong, please let me know. please do it in a respectful way, otherwise I will not even begin to try to change my thoughts.
There are very few production vehicles that require 93 octane fuel, Viper, Vette, and vehicles in that league. 89 is a blend of 87 and 93 and therefore a waste of money. anything requiring 98 octane is on the race track
Did you not watch the myth busters episode that busts the myth of better gas mileage on a truck with and without a tonnue cover.... it's science man
it was eather that or tailgate up or down...
MrKS Did you ever look at the specs of GM's XFE truck? Lowered, air dam, tonneau and a lip spoiler on the tailgate so the vacuum would happen after the truck. That's the science of a manufacturer doing extensive testing for a much longer period of time vs myth busters.
MrKS Also most people get a tonneau to conceal their belongings anyways.
AnthonyJ350 well then... myth not busted
MrKS Myth Busters is really intelligent but they only explore the topic so far with limited time.
My 2011 Honda sportbike has just over 15,000 Ks on it. ZDoes it need new oxygen sensor or spark plug? or a MAF sensor cleaning?
What are the maintenance intervals stated in your owner's manual?
Oh...
I thought Fords had those things on the tailgate to help you push...
+TheTrinityKid dude, shut the fuck up. this is about better fuel economy. not which is better.
It's this thing called "humor." Perhaps you've heard of it?
I have but that shits annoying. its on every little thing."oh no a ford has a scratch on it. that must mean chevy is superior. wow a chevy blew an engine, so that has to mean that dodges can out run anyone" its just getting obnoxious
+Nick Weber (Sid) it is about mpg. you lose it pushing or pulling Ford 😁
how about SU carburetors? how do we save up fuel consumption?
A good tune for the environment you live in. Elevation makes a difference. A good intake manifold and a carb spacer would help because of where fuel is delivered.
is a performance tuner the same as a performance chip?
Pretty much yes.
Good information
Thanks
Thanks for watching!
jreyman. He said 100,000 kilometers, not 1000 kilometer. If you made a misprint, please ignore this. We all make mistakes from time to time.
I get about 7.5mpg in my 09 2500hd… is that bad? Anybody else getting that? Never had an engine light come on.. but I do have grounding issues and have ha one fuse box go out and have another on its way out.. it has 123000 miles on it
Highway or city?
"If you're not using a truck for what its meant for, then maybe you just shouldn't own a truck." You obviously are not from Texas! Just kidding bro. Love your video. You have some great tips there.
What motor do u have and whats your best mpg ?
I have a 4.8L. I think the best recorded on a trip was about 21 MPG. Keep in mind it wasn't flat but we did log about 600KM on that trip.
I would not want to set it to economy settings and loose power just to gain 1-2mpg...my truck is meant for work..and off road fun. I didn't buy a truck cause i wanted good fuel economy, i brought a truck cause i needed (and wanted) one for work and fun. ill take a little less fuel economy for good performance anyday... and I know other people have stated this already, but a Tonneau Cover will do NOTHING to improve mpgs..
My Diablo Sport still gave me power increases and much better driveability on the economy setting. Every tuning company is different though.
Then why exactly did you even watch the video...?
Best tip- "maybe you shouldn't own a full size truck"
What can I say, I'm a straight shooter.
What is a good speed to get better gas mileage? Like 55? 60?
Probably the slower one so 55. Unless you're geared to where the vehicle is lugging at 55.
Plug-change @ 1000 Km! You're changing your spark plugs at a little over half their scheduled maintenance life.
Yes and no. Inspect, clean and re-gap, if there is sufficient electrode left.
Oh boy :D
I run that 1000km in two weeks and you can bet I am not changing spark plugs that often. Maybe 40 000 km ;)
My Silverado is a '97 7.4L C2500. I'm running Castrol Syntec (now called Edge) in it, and a K&N cold-air intake kit. I change it on a 6000 mile rotation and clean the K&N when it looks like it could use a cleaning. I changed the plugs (Bosch Platinum) and wires (BWD) shortly after I bought it, and haven't touched them since. It's mileage has remained consistent with the mileage when the plugs and wires were new. I have gotten 12.5MPG/City, 15.5MPH/Hwy from it, when driven somewhat conservatively, which is better than the numbers the EPA claims, though that's often not the case, as I'm a bit of a lead-foot.
100000 kilometers not 1000. Go rewatch.
Should I change my oil every 5k mike?
I still would. Fresh oil will make an engine last longer. I'm not a fan if extended drain intervals
AnthonyJ350 ok. Thanks, I have a 2014 Ford F-150 5.0 with 134,700k miles should I use the 5w-20 ford motor craft oil I bought it with 129700k miles so my first oil change myself
@@connorbarnett7494 I would check out this RUclipsr. He is a Ford tech and has a lot of insight of what engine oil to use etc ruclips.net/user/FordTechMakuloco
AnthonyJ350 ok thank you!
Where did you get the spoiler?
Wil Juarez The spoiler shown in the video was purchased at the local GM dealership.
You only need to change your spark plugs every 160,934 Kilometers!!
They're not that expensive, so I don't mind changing them prematurely
Look at the gas price back then, it was crazy
Ya shure, liters in Canadian Pesos
What's the different between short Headers and straight headers
You mean long tubes and short tube headers?
ya what's the difference
My understanding is that shorties used unequal-length short tubes from the engine block to a collector pipe; while long tube headers use equal-length long tubes between the engine and the collector pipe. The equal-length tubes are supposed to equalize backpressure and exhaust gas velocity for all cylinders, but they tend to be pretty big overall so they require other modifications for fitment. Shorties are easier to fit inside an otherwise stock engine compartment, but because of space limitations, their tubes are unequal in length, which leads to unequal ehaust characteristics from each of the cylinders.
I've heard some say that one increases low-RPM power, while the other increase high-RPM power. But I don't get that.
Do not use a programmer if gives you more power that your truck is not made for. Like your transmission
Blake Bonner Good thing I have a rebuilt performance 4L60E. Just put it on the lowest setting. If you go all out you risk damaging something.
Do you know what bed cover this truck has on it?
Colt Still It's a Bakflip.
Colt Still myth busters did a segment on this and the truck without a bed cover did a little better. Something about a bubble of air forms in the empty bed, where the bedcover acts like a giant rear wing and makes drag.
What kind of MPG do you get?
On the highway 19-21. City it's like 12-15, but these engines never performed well for city economy.
What about lowering your tailgate !
Ford did a wind tunnel test and apparently isn't as good.
Good video but in all honesty a cold air intake will not give you better fuel mileage, and of course neither a throttle body spacer or programming. It's a in foot control. A cold sorry intake brings more air in Yes, but in turn the ecu mixes more fuel so maybe 5-10 hp but No gains. Tbs is worthless don't even worry with those. They may help tbi trucks 94 and older. A programmer with tunes already set in it will give you some power but nothing like a custom in person tune trust me I've had both
exhaust intake and a tune specifically for economy will increase fuel mileage however you are correct if you just do a intake the stock ecu will adjust however he discussed doing a tuner for economy not performance it will lower the power band and throttle response with that said I only rec a tuner if it comes with three or more tunes economy 87 towing 87 towing 93 and performance tune if you want all with hurt your gasmileage except the economy 87octane
Getting ready to make all those changes on my 2014 Sierra. Current mileage is at 24.9 on highway so thinking I should get around 40 or so right?
You'll definitely get an improvement (depending on your driving habits) but nowhere that high. I'd be really impressed if you approach close to 30mpg on the highway. It's hard to really improve city mileage because moving all that weight uses a lot of energy.
AnthonyJ350 thanks for getting back to me. I found it very interesting that just making a few driving adjustments (behavioral changes) behind the wheel could have such a huge impact on fuel mileage. I took a short highway trip yesterday in my new 2014 GMC Sierra Crew Cab Z-71 4x4 SLT 5.3 engine 3.42 rear end with 20" all terrain tires.the truck has approx 2500 miles on it. My average over that 25 mile trip even with idling to warm up was 27.1 mpg. I did get a few angry stares as people passed me LOL but you simply have to let the vehicle slow a bit on the hills etc and get the feel of it. The DIC tells you constantly what your average is and if you watch it closely you can train yourself to make appropriate throttle positioning to maximize mpg. These new GM 5.3 engines/trans combinations are amazing. The truck weighs in at 5216 lbs empty so there is a lot of mass to move. I just signed up for the Fuelly site to track my mileage from here forward so this should be fun.
Darryl S
Hello. I have been a mechanic for most of my life. (over 50 years old now)
With the older carbureted engines and the older type of oil, a warm up period is sometimes needed.
With the newer fuel injected engines and the newer oil a warm up peiod of no more than 30 seconds at temperatures over 40 degrees Fahrenheit is more than adequate. Lower temps a little longer is okay. Approaching zero or colder, 2 minutes is more than enough. According to where you live it will vary some. 5 minutes of idling in the southern half of the US is a waste of engine and gas.
The longer you idle your engine the more wear you induce. Some of your engine parts are oiled by splash. Idling an engine excessively doesn't allow proper oiling. A new engine, (like yours) has enough oil pressure to oil by splash most of the time. (read that as most engines)
What I recommend is that when the temperature is over 40 degrees, start the engine as soon as you get in. Put on your seat belts, check the adjustments of seats, mirrors, etc. Look around, and by the time that is done, your engine is ready to go.
Like I said earlier, as it gets colder, then you could let it idle longer. Your engine will thank you with a long life.
Darryl S 27.1 mpg? How fast were you going, 55? I've never seen that high of MPG in a V8 4x4 truck unless I was barely putting along and I've owned both GM and Ford. Hell my wife's 4 banger Buick gets 30-31 mpg at 70 mph.
What motor /trans. /rear end ratio do u have now, because that is very good economy as it is ,love to seeu get 29/30 mpg.thated be impresive
the bed cover comment is completely wrong everything that goes in or on a bed ive ever seen hurts the gas mileage the bed creates a vortec that allows the wind to flow smoothly over the bed putting a cover or shell etc will hurt the gasmileage there is one example of one that starts high and then ends at the top of the tailgate im interested in seeing its ability to flow air but 100% of bed covers ive seen actually hurt gasmileage
But then why did the old XFE Silverado and Sierra come equipped with them?
@@AnthonyJ350 dealers also come with bigger wheels and other non gasmileage saving parts its aerodynamics you cant fight the physics these covers help keep your stuff locked up or dry which is nice but that does not help gas mileage literally go google the results youll see that this claim is 100% false
This video in the wind tunnel says tonneau covers do work ruclips.net/video/oEkiDsVGr9c/видео.html
I have lost mpg ever since a fuel pump change, have changed it out and still getting same mpg, any ideas? Could it be because of the change of gap (went from 060 to 040 according to gm) my truck is a 2000 tahoe 5.3
Did 2000 still have fuel filters equipped?
@@AnthonyJ350 yes my tahoe has a fuel filter
@@ElyGPC Did you guys change it when the fuel pump was changed?
Yes sir, 2 times its very frustrating i love my truck and am looking into upgrading it, its just the facy of getting 215 miles per tank that is killing me, my other tahoe ('04) gives me 275 mpg city
@@ElyGPC Try inspecting and servicing all the grounds ruclips.net/video/Dql0Uu8-SNk/видео.html
Spark plugs and wires are fairly new?
how many miles should I change spark plugs.
+shane premraj @80k
Tyler Cady cool thanks
I miss the 1.28 a litre days
I miss .99 cents per litre days lol
How much mpg do you get with this truck with all these mods and maintenance??
On the highway, like 21-22 mpg
@@AnthonyJ350 pretty good. With all these mods and maintenance did you happen to gain any horse power or torque?
@@AnthonyJ350 also what year and what model is the truck?
@@Eric-lq6yk It's a 2005 Silverado, 4.8L V8 with a 206/212 camshaft from Comp Cams, has a TBSS intake manifold and full exhaust now.
How much mpg do you get on the street?
Funny how the government is so worried about fossil fuels yet they dnt add cold air intakes or tune trucks for mikeage. A suburban could wasily come from thw factory with 300hp and 22 to 25 mpg with the rt intakes pluss the parts are so cheap itd barely change the price. If ur soending 60k pluss anyways wtf is an extra grand for better fuel economy.
Thanks for watching!
Love it, straight to the point. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keeping the bs out :)
Glad you liked it!
You'll never see return on investment on the exhaust from increased fuel savings. Also your methodology on helper springs is all wrong. "Flat spotting" your tires isn't a problem if you're staying within the limits of the GVWR anyways, which the helper springs will not reduce the weight on your tires like you said, they're still carrying the same weight even with the helper springs. Also the tonneau covers do not reduce drag IMO, and from having one on my truck they do not help with fuel mileage, like you hinted at with the tailgate wing, there is a vortex of air that spins behind the truck and helps reduce drag.... same thing happens in the bed with no cover on and an empty bed. The air in the bed spins and smooths the air coming over the cab for less drag. Myth busters did a great test over it on tailgate up vs tailgate down. And with a cover you just can't get the air coming over the cab smoothed out.
Drew w But why did the XFE Sierra have a tonneau cover? Also Nascar trucks are designed with the beds closed at the top. Plus you should have one for security anyways. By flat spotting I mean if your suspension cannot work when you are pushing payload the tires are doing more of the suspension work because the suspension is almost bottomed out. Exhaust maybe not compared to modern exhaust design (most are mandrel bent now) but if you look at GM they offer a performance exhaust and have shown some gains on the dyno showing there is still restriction, plus the sound is worth it.
AnthonyJ350 Nascar trucks also don't have a real bed so there is no flat floor for air to push against for air vortex to work, it's either chassis and axle components or open, they also need the down force over the rear end. Bed cover that came with XFE sierra is a factory option. As for the security aspects of a bed cover yes at times the security is nice, but at the same time gives owners a nice place to keep unneeded weight. I've got a painted to match leer topper on my truck and it's helped exactly none in fuel mileage aspects, and I think makes for worse fuel mileage on my 2012 Silverado since you don't get the air swirl working in the bed which helps to keep air coming over the truck smooth as well some what "pushes" on the back of the cab, where as with a topper the air just tries to sit on top of it and slide off with turbulent air right behind the cab. The suspension will work fine regardless of the load as long as you're within safe load for what the truck is rated for, that's what it was designed around and why the manufacture sets the payload at. And chooses tires that can safely handle the load it's rated for. Helper springs only make for a more comfortable ride and less body roll/ sway when loaded. And yea good flowing headers and exhaust pipe will surely help power you'll never see the money spent on those parts be returned in fuel savings as stated in the video. But personally I'll take the power over fuel savings and I plan to get long tubes and off road Y pipe for my 2012.
Watch this video, may help explain my point for helper springs. ruclips.net/video/0p_h0qq0dj0/видео.html
Here's Ford explaining a tonneau cover is more efficient in their wind tunnel ruclips.net/video/oEkiDsVGr9c/видео.html
Wat kind of truck do u have it looks exactly like my 05 c1500 LT
2005 Silverado 1500 with a 4.8L. It has a little work done to it ;)
ruclips.net/video/Rxh7MVXQSPU/видео.html
+AnthonyJ350 will the results be the same with the 5.3 v8 or different
Blood Angel Should be. An engine is just a giant air pump. We're just trying to make it more efficient and use it more efficiently.
+AnthonyJ350 ok cause it's had its gear ratios changed from the regular 3.73 to ones more efficient for the highway